Words Matter: How To Speak With Authority

As Adjunct Faculty at Chicago universities for the past decade, I have witnessed endless presentations. Being a generous grader who rounds-up, most productions barely earn a “C.”

Reason for poor performance: Undergraduates/MBAs bore audience through over-use of “fillers.” Unfortunately, these bad habits carry forward to the workplace.

A filler word or phrase is anything that speaker says over-and-over. The worst offenders, by far, are “ya know” and “like.” Others that are popular: ah; um; really; actually; so, what I mean is; awesome; cool.

What can you do to trim reliance on fillers?

Admit that you/peers are the problem. Don’t believe it? Listen closely to dialogue of radio interview or TV sitcom. Better yet, ask to record a conversation with friends; then count the repetitive, brain-numbing terms.

“Catch yourself” when talking too informally. Fact: by owning this matter, you’re on the way to improvement.